John Horvath, Police Chief
168 Main St.
Rockport, MA 01834
For Immediate Release
Monday, Oct. 1, 2018
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Rockport Police Investigating After Boat Capsizes, Passenger Dies
ROCKPORT — Chief John Horvath reports that the Rockport Police Department is investigating after a boating incident left one man dead over the weekend.
Paul E. Nadeau, age 58, of Kingston, New Hampshire died on Sunday, Sept. 30 after succumbing to injuries he suffered when a boat he was on capsized near Straitsmouth Island.
At approximately 1:45 p.m., Rockport Police received a request from a Rockport harbormaster for an ambulance at T-Wharf. The harbormaster reported one person was in the water after a boat had run aground.
Rockport Police, Fire and EMS responded to T-Wharf, and as the harbormaster’s boat approached, CPR was already in progress on a male victim. The victim, identified as Nadeau, sustained serious injuries and was transported via ambulance to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
A second victim, a 59-year-old Rockport man, was on Straitsmouth Island with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. He was later rescued by U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and later taken to an area hospital.
During their investigation, Rockport Police learned that the two men were on a boat for a fishing trip, and while traveling around the northeast corner of Straitsmouth Island, a large wave, approximately 10-feet high hit the boat, causing it to flip over. Both victims were thrown into the ocean.
The first victim was able to swim to shore, but Nadeau lost consciousness and was later pulled from the water by a Rockport harbormaster.
The incident remains under investigation by the Rockport Police Department in collaboration with the Rockport Harbormasters, the Massachusetts State Police detective unit and the Massachusetts Environmental Police.
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